The Cardinals fanbase would be be that pissed off in trading for the No. 1 prospect in baseball, at a severe position of need, and solving the franchise's SS situation for the next 12 years?

What would piss them off? Moving Taveras by itself? Or having to surrender some secondary prospects in additional to Taveras to get him?

A straight-up swap of Taveras and Profar isn't going to happen.

Have to give up enough to make the trade worth the Rangers' while...

Here's the problem: the Rangers Chief'd themselves with the Andrus deal. Unless they move Kinsler they've blocked their best prospect.

If I were the Cardinals, I might take the Andrus contract as a red flag WRT Profar. If you believed in him to the extent that you say, why would you block his natural position of greatest impact and need?

I'd offer them Tavares and Kelly for Profar but no more. To be honest, at this point I could see why the Cardinals would be reticent to do more than a straight up deal. The Rangers could have easily moved Andrus for a corner outfielder and kept a cost-controlled Profar but didn't.

Why?

Addendum: Cardinals fans are not going to riot or stop attending games b/c they trade Taveras. That's preposterous.